County auditor in Missouri issues no audits for year

CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) - A county auditor in eastern Missouri hasn't produced one audit since being appointed a year ago.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the majority of St. Louis County Council members voted in February 2017 to hire Mark Tucker as the auditor for the county of 1 million people despite his not having any auditing experience. Tucker says audits are underway, but there's little evidence that any are far along.

The auditor has repeatedly declined to answer the newspaper's questions about his responsibilities.

Tucker blames County Executive Steve Stenger for blocking the auditor's office from accessing critical records and hiring staff members. Tucker has had the funding to hire two staffers, but only hired an assistant last week.

Stenger alleges Tucker hadn't asked any county department for records until late January.

Nearly two weeks after 16-year-old Amy Yu vanished with 45-year-old Kevin Esterly, the pair was found Saturday in Mexico and the man was arrested, authorities say. (Allentown Police Department)

Nearly two weeks after a 16-year-old Pennsylvania girl vanished with a 45-year-old man, the pair was found Saturday in Mexico and the man was arrested, authorities say. Amy Yu was "unharmed and in good health."

Nearly two weeks after a 16-year-old Pennsylvania girl vanished with a 45-year-old man, the pair was found Saturday in Mexico and the man was arrested, authorities say. Amy Yu was "unharmed and in good health."

The Memorial to John Brown at Quindaro Townsite statue was recently defaced. Among the items painted on the statue included a swatiska, "hail Satan" and racial slurs. The statue honoring the well-known abolitionist is located at 29th and Sewell in KCK. One of the oldest statues of Brown, it was dedicated in 1911. It's not the first Civil War themed monument to be vandalized in the metro. In August 2017, the United Daughters of the Confederacy monu...

The Memorial to John Brown at Quindaro Townsite statue was recently defaced. Among the items painted on the statue included a swatiska, "hail Satan" and racial slurs. The statue honoring the well-known abolitionist is located at 29th and Sewell in KCK. One of the oldest statues of Brown, it was dedicated in 1911. It's not the first Civil War themed monument to be vandalized in the metro. In August 2017, the United Daughters of the Confederacy monu...

A local youth soccer club is crying foul over the treatment of an 11-year-old with a disability. Several of Cooper Walters’ teammates came out to Lathrop’s soccer field to show their support for him - after the parent league, Tri-County Soccer, told him he couldn’t play this weekend because he was too old. Cooper’s parents say he was allowed to play in the 8-10 age bracket in the fall because they submitted a doctor’s note and got approval from the leag...More >

A local youth soccer club is crying foul over the treatment of an 11-year-old with a disability. Several of Cooper Walters’ teammates came out to Lathrop’s soccer field to show their support for him - after the parent league, Tri-County Soccer, told him he couldn’t play this weekend because he was too old. Cooper’s parents say he was allowed to play in the 8-10 age bracket in the fall because they submitted a doctor’s note and got approval from the leag...More >